Filed in Gear, Reviews
by LisacloseAuthor: LisaName: Lisa Roehm-GenselEmail: lisa@theruniverse.comSite:http://mom2marathon.com/blog/About: I am a mom, a runner and a coach. I discovered a passion for fitness and running in my early forties while trying to "find" myself after becoming a stay-at-home mom. Since 2008, I have run one ultra marathon, seven marathons, twenty half marathons, numerous trail races and various shorter races. I am certified as a running coach, in pre- and post-natal fitness, HIIT classes and am pursuing my certification as a personal trainer.See Authors Posts (86)
on July 1, 2013
• 2 Comments

I was given the opportunity to review the new Koss Headphones. I tried the FitClips and the FitBuds, which were both designed specifically for women by women.

The website says the following about the FitClips:

Key Features:

● Designed for Women. By Women.

● Sweat resistant

● Ultra lightweight

● Extreme durability

● Soft flexible clips

● Three cushion sizes: small, medium, large

● Covered under the Limited Lifetime Warranty

I really like the FitClips. As advertised, they are super lightweight. They stay in my ears, thanks to the wrap-around styling. They are my go-to headphones now. I recently spent $60 on a competitor’s headphones and these headphones are much more comfortable for half the price.

I will be honest, I don’t really know much about sound quality. If I can hear the music, it works for me. I have no complaints with these headphones. Not only can I hear my music or audiobook clearly, I can hear sounds around me as well. I get nervous wearing headphones that block out outside noise. These allow me to hear traffic and other runners. I am in the habit of only wearing one headphone, but might start wearing both with these. Until then, the ear clip provides a great hook to hang on my shirt. Other headphones have to be shoved into my bra strap.

My biggest complaint with these headphones is that the cord is too long. I wear my iPod on my arm, so the cord is super long. I understand that many people have their listening devices at their belt, but even when I carry my iPod in my belt, the cord is too long. I could wrap it around my waist and still have it reach my ears. It should have at least come with a clip or something to clip it out of the way. I have been using a clip I received with another set of earphones. I had another set once that had a short cord, but included an extension cord for taller people. That would work perfectly for these.

Another slight complaint is that I always seem to fumble putting them on. Because of the clips that fit around your ear, there is definitely a right and a left. However, they are not labeled as such. It seems like I always try the wrong clip first. A small “R” and “L” on each of the clips would help those of us who are a bit challenged in recognizing which side is which. I might just use a Sharpie to mark them myself.

Pros:

Lightweight

Cute colors

Stays in my ears

Nice and small

Comes with multiple size ear pieces

Sounds good

Cons:

Cord is too long

Can never tell right from left headphone

The FitBuds are nice and they fit in my ears super well. Unfortunately, they tend to fall out of my ears a bit more than the clips. They work great when I am listening to an audiobook while doing housework, but when I run, they tend to come out more often than the other style. The angle of these is very shallow, so while comfortable, they slip out of my ear easily. Luckily, my nine-year-old son decided that he likes them for using with his Kindle and has commandeered my FitBuds. I should have him write a review! I think these headphones are perfect for kids. They are small and don’t go far into the ears.

Overall, these are great headphones, especially when you compare the price of other headphones. They are small and even come in cute colors. I don’t think it is possible to design a perfect headphone. All of them hurt your ears eventually. After twenty miles, anything you stick in your ear is going to get uncomfortable. But these are on their way. They are definitely my go-to set now among quite a few different brands cluttering my desk.

*Koss Headphones provided me with the FitClips and FitBuds for my review, but the opinions are all my own.

I am a mom, a runner and a coach. I discovered a passion for fitness and running in my early forties while trying to "find" myself after becoming a stay-at-home mom. Since 2008, I have run one ultra marathon, seven marathons, twenty half marathons, numerous trail races and various shorter races. I am certified as a running coach, in pre- and post-natal fitness, HIIT classes and am pursuing my certification as a personal trainer.